Support for up to 6 Linear Axes

[DerAndere1]

Requirements

• Fix EEPROM (M500, M504) datasize error
• More hardware testing with NON_E_AXES 5 or 6 (axes XYZIJK) plus extruder) and TMC / L64xx drivers
• Compatibility with displays and niche features
• Think about sanity checks

Description

This is only a starting point for discussion. Documentation: https://github.com/DerAndere1/Marlin/wiki . I understand that multi-axis support might be out of scope for MarlinFirmware/Marlin. Currently, not all niche features are compatible with LINEAR_AXES >= 4 (see https://github.com/DerAndere1/Marlin/issues).

• Tested on 8 bit AVR (Melzi_optiboot) with four non-extruder axes (LINEAR_AXES 4)

• Tested on 32bit Teensy 3.6 (LINEAR_AXES 6)

• Was adapted by others for Alfawise U20/U20+/U30 with 5 non-extruder axes and a 32bit BTT SKR Pro v1.1

Contributions:

Name	Contact	contribution
DerAndere	@DerAndere1	idea for multi-axis suport, initial implementation, added EVENT_GCODE_TOOLCHANGE_T0, EVENT_GCODE_TOOLCHANGE_T1, FOAMCUTTER_XYUV
Gabriel Beraldo	@GabrielBeraldo	hardware debugging, bugfixes yielding first working prototype with more than 3 linear axes (make additional axes move, fix EEPROM)
Olivier Briand	@hobiseven	testing, added experimental compatibility with different configurations, code review, FOAMCUTTER_XYUV feed rate interpretation mode
Wolverine	@MohammadSDGHN	added experimental compatibility with different configurations (BigTreeTech SKR Pro 1.1, Trinamic TMC drivers, StealthChop, sensorless homing)
bilsef	@bilsef	testing, code review, bugfixes (fix movement of additional axes, fix types.h, fix EEPROM)
Scott Lahteine	@thinkyhead	code review, big refactoring

Benefits

The additional non-extruder axes I, J, and/or K can be used to control additional stepper motors, syncronized with XYZ-movement. They are designed as first-class axes that offer the same functionality as XYZ (endstops, homing).
Axis codes can be configured to match G-code standards (X,Y,Z,A,B,C or X,Y,Z,U,V,W ). Now Marlin can also be used as firmware for pipetting robots and 4-axis FOAMCUTTERS. Most code is in if/endif preprocessor directives

Related Issues

Towards fulfilling old feature requests:

• [FR] 5 independently homing axis with Endstops #15717
• How to Re-Purpose XYZ (min/max) Endstops #8519

Includes code from

• Drilling Cycles, 5-Axis (non-modal & w/out RTCP) #17283

Test config for RAMPS:
RAMPS_XYZI.zip

[thinkyhead]

For extra guidance on extending the number of linear axes in Marlin, take a look at Marlin 1.1.9 and study the HANGPRINTER feature. At that time all of Marlin's coordinates were stored in simple arrays, so it was a bit more straightforward to implement. But the types defined in types.h shouldn't be too hard to modify.

[DerAndere1]

I appreciate that you took the time to have a look at my big messy code. Your improvements to readability are already great. Don't feel pushed to dig too deep into this. I'm curious how you managed to replace the deeply nested #if #if #endif #endif sections by the more flat #if#endif#if #endif structure so fast.

[DerAndere1]

What could be the most likely cause of the "EEPROM datasize error" bug that I introdced? i.e. What is the meaning of

error: EEPROM datasize error
echo: index: 645 Size 737

and
Error: Field planner_leveling_active mismatch ?
I suspect it has to do with
a) the order of variables in settings.cpp or
b) the use of arrays with variable element count depending on NON_E_AXES/LINEAR_AXES (instead of dummy values).

Also, the use of the macro LIST_N does not seem to work if the later, unused array elements are undefined.

[thinkyhead]

I'm curious how you managed to replace the deeply nested … so quickly

I know all the keyboard shortcuts. But also, I spent about 6 hours on this.

Error: Field planner_leveling_active mismatch ?

The structure at the top of settings.cpp exists to validate the offsets of data written to the EEPROM. This error indicates that something between the previous error-check and the planner_leveling_active check is writing too much or too little data. It's also possible that the structure is incorrect concerning the size of one or more fields.

[DerAndere1]

A 6 axis configuration for Teensy 3.6 by @bilsef can be found in the attachment of this comment.
6axisConfig.zip

[DerAndere1]

Updated the description to reflect the fact that the most annoying bugs were fixed and the CANNED_DRILLING_CYCLES feature from PR #17283 was incorporated.

[thinkyhead]

One thing to watch out for is that custom axis letters may conflict with extended parameters on commands that use gcode.get_destination_from_command (G0, G1, G2, G3, G5, G38). We can add some asserts / sanity-checks to catch those cases.

[bilsef]

@thinkyhead Last changes to types.h break compile for axes > 3. The e axis must only be included after the last linear axis. I was able to fix it like this, but perhaps you have a better solution.

// XYZE coordinates, counters, etc.
//
template<typename T>
struct XYZEval {
  union {
    struct{ T LIST_N(LINEAR_AXES, x, y, z, i, j, k), e; };
    struct{ T a, b, c; };
    T pos[LINEAR_AXES + 1];
  };
  FI void reset()                                             { e = GANG_N(LINEAR_AXES, x =, y =, z =, i =, j =, k =) 0; }
  #if ENABLED(ASYNC_SECONDARY_AXES)
    FI T magnitude() const { return (T)sqrtf(e*e + x*x + y*y + z*z); }
  #else
    FI T magnitude() const { return (T)sqrtf(e*e GANG_N(LINEAR_AXES, + x*x, + y*y, + z*z, + i*i, + j*j, + k*k)); }
  #endif
  FI operator T* ()                                           { return pos; }
  FI operator bool()                                          { return e GANG_N(LINEAR_AXES, || x, || y, || z, || i, || j, || k); }
  FI void set(const T px)                                     { x = px;               }
  FI void set(const T px, const T py)                         { x = px;    y = py;    }
  FI void set(const XYval<T> pxy)                             { x = pxy.x; y = pxy.y; }
  FI void set(const T px, const T py, const T pz)             { x = px;    y = py;    z = pz; }
  #if LINEAR_AXES < 4
    FI void set(const T px, const T py, const T pz, const T pe) { x = px;    y = py;    z = pz; e = pe;}
  #endif
  FI void set(const XYval<T> pxy, const T pz)                 { x = pxy.x; y = pxy.y; z = pz; }
  #if LINEAR_AXES >= 4
    FI void set(const T px, const T py, const T pz, const T pi)                         { set(px,  py, pz); i = pi; }
    FI void set(const XYval<T> pxy, const T pz, const T pi)                             { set(pxy,     pz); i = pi; }
    #if LINEAR_AXES < 5
      FI void set(const T px, const T py, const T pz, const T pi, const T pe)             { set(px,  py, pz,    pi); e = pe; }
      FI void set(const XYval<T> pxy, const T pz, const T pi, const T pe)                 { set(pxy,     pz,    pi); e = pe; }
      FI void set(const XYval<T> pxy, const T pi, const XYval<T> pze)                     { set(pxy,     pze.z, pi); e = pze.e; }
    #endif
  #endif
  #if LINEAR_AXES >= 5
    FI void set(const T px, const T py, const T pz, const T pi, const T pj)             { set(px,  py, pz,    pi); j = pj; }
    FI void set(const XYval<T> pxy, const T pz, const T pi, const T pj)                 { set(pxy,     pz,    pi); j = pj; }
    #if LINEAR_AXES < 6
      FI void set(const T px, const T py, const T pz, const T pi, const T pj, const T pe) { set(px,  py, pz,    pi, pj); e = pe; }
      FI void set(const XYval<T> pxy, const T pz, const T pi, const T pj, const T pe)     { set(pxy,     pz,    pi, pj); e = pe;}
      FI void set(const XYval<T> pxy, const T pi, const T pj, const XYval<T> pze)         { set(pxy,     pze.z, pi, pj); e = pze.e; }
    #endif
  #endif
  #if LINEAR_AXES >= 6
    FI void set(const T px, const T py, const T pz, const T pi, const T pj, const T pk)             { set(px, py, pz,    pi, pj); k = pk; }
    FI void set(const XYval<T> pxy, const T pz, const T pi, const T pj, const T pk)                 { set(pxy,    pz,    pi, pj); k = pk; }
    FI void set(const T px, const T py, const T pz, const T pi, const T pj, const T pk, const T pe) { set(px, py, pz,    pi, pj, pk); e = pe; }
    FI void set(const XYval<T> pxy, const T pz, const T pi, const T pj, const T pk, const T pe)     { set(pxy,    pz,    pi, pj, pk); e = pe; }
    FI void set(const XYval<T> pxy, const T pi, const T pj, const T pk, const XYval<T> pze)         { set(pxy,    pze.z, pi, pj, pk); e = pze.e; }
  #endif